Statement initiated by Working People Association
(Indonesia) and Network of Progressive Youth Burma

[If
your organisation would like to sign, please email:international@prp-indonesia.org.]

September 16, 2010 -- We, the undersigned organisations, strongly condemn the military junta of
Burma for its new decree to curb workers’ right to form trade unions and its
harsh punishments against any industrial action.

The military junta of Burma -- the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) -- decreed a new regulation on August 20, 2010, at a meeting in
Rangoon attended by industry employers, government ministers and Burmese
military officials, including Lt-Gen Myint Swe of the ministry of defence. It stated
that, whoever launches or participates in industrial protests demanding better
rights or conditions will be fired and blacklisted. The reason for the
decree, labour activists in Burma believe, is that the junta wants to prevent
further industrial action and employers don’t want their workers taking action
to demand better wages, so now they can fire those who protest and stop them
from getting jobs elsewhere.

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia, August 6, 2010 -- Free Malaysia Today -- Kota Damansara assemblyman and Socialist Party of
Malaysia (PSM) chairman Nasir Hashim is a realist. But he is also fond
of quoting Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara to “be realistic and do
the impossible”.

And Nasir is doing the impossible: he is spearheading an ambitious
project to eradicate urban poverty in a small community in the vicinity
of Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

The project has a bold vision.
It will empower the poor not only by developing their skill sets but
also by encouraging a mindset shift from that of victim to victor. The
project also aims to have various parties – federal and Selangor
governments, businesses, non-governmental organisations and local
communities – working hand-in-hand to achieve this vision. It is a
radical concept and one that could be seen as remarkably idealistic.

At Dataran MBPJ, Padang Timur in Petaling Jaya, Selangor -- which saw the earliest vigil begin at 8pm -- members of the police Light Strike Force (LSF) began dispersing the 300-strong crowd just as the latter began singing while marching from the mall, through the adjacent car park and towards the field across the main road.

As they approached the field, they were confronted by a wall of LSF shields wielded by about 30 riot police, backed by another 50 uniformed police.

Joint statement initiated by Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), Working People’s Association (PRP), Indonesia, and Socialist Alliance, Australia. See below for latest signatures.

[If your organisation would like to sign this statement, please email int.psm@gmail.com.]

August 1, 2010 -- We, the undersigned organisations, view with serious concern the possibility of military aggression towards the people of Venezuela by the Colombian government, which could be supported by the United State of America using its seven military bases recently installed in Colombia.

This matter has arisen from the recent events when the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was accused on July 22, 2010, at the extraordinary session of the Organization of American States in Washington by the Colombian government of promoting, supporting and maintaining a relationship with armed organisations from Colombia, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN). The accusations were only based on images which have never been substantiated or subjected to verification.

July 28, 2010 -- The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) is deeply concerned with the possibility of military aggression towards the people of Venezuela by the Colombian government, which could be supported by the United States of America and its seven military bases recently installed in Colombia.

This matter has arisen from the recent events when the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was accused on July 22, 2010, at the Extraordinary Session of the Organization of American States in Washington by the Colombian government of promoting, supporting and maintaining a relationship with armed organisations from Colombia, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN). The accusations were only based on images which have never been substantiated or subjected to verification.

The current moves by right-wing Colombian government is clearly an attempt backed by the US to justify a pre-emptive attack on Venezuela and its people. There has been a pattern of false allegations against Hugo Chavez’s government as part of a US-backed campaign to dismantle the revolutionary process taking place in Venezuela.

June 25, 2010
-- As Israel stands increasingly isolated following its manufactured confrontation
on May 31, 2010, with the peace flotilla in which nine Turkish activists on the
Mavi Marmara were murdered, now is
the time to increase the pressure on Israel to lift the siege of Gaza.

Israel’s
criminal blockade of Gaza is aimed to collectively punish 1.5 million Gazans
for their choice of government.

The attack on
the flotilla was aimed at demoralising Palestinians and their supporters. But,
as we've seen from the global protests – particularly in Turkey and the Arab
world – it has backfired on the Netanyahu government. Turkey, once a close
political and military ally, has now distanced itself from Israel and supports
attempts to break the Gaza blockade.

June 9, 2010 -- The Socialist Party of Malaysia's 12th Congress was held in Kuala Lumpur on
June 5-6, 2010. Three hundred delegates from nine states, and allied organisationd and grassroots committees, attended. The congress was officiated by the PSM’s national chairperson Comrade Nasir Hashim. Three papers were presented on the environmental crisis facing the world, leadership transition in PSM and the Malaysian governments economic policies. Resolutions (see below) were debated on
the second day touching on idelogical questions, local government
elections and the PSM's relationship with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat.

The following joint statement of
solidarity -- initiated by Socialist
Alliance, Australia -- has been signed by a number of
left and progressive organisations in
the Asia-Pacific region. If your organisation would like to sign on,
please
email international@socialist-alliance.org.

* * *

Joint statement from Asia-Pacific left and progressive organisations

May 13, 2010

We, left and progressive organisations from the Asia-Pacific region, express our solidarity with the resistance of the Greek people against the harsh austerity being imposed upon them by the governments of the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The proposed “rescue package” for the Greek economy by the IMF-EU has triggered a huge struggle that will have worldwide ramifications for working people.

The following joint statement of
solidarity -- initiated by Socialist
Alliance, Australia -- has been signed by a number of left and progressive organisations in
the Asia-Pacific region. If your organisation would like to sign on, please
email international@socialist-alliance.org.

* * *

May 6, 2010

On May Day, international workers’ day, a huge demonstration of between
500,000-1 million people took place in Kathmandu. Called by the Unified
Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), people came from all over Nepal to
make their voices heard.

It was the largest demonstration since the fall of the centuries-old
monarchy and was the culmination of a growing series of mass demonstrations and
strikes aimed at restoring civilian supremacy and democracy. Despite right-wing
rumours and slanders, the marchers were unarmed and there was no violence.

May 1, 2010 -- May Day -- saw millions of people mobilising around globe to oppose attacks on workers' rights, reverse the degradation of the environment, defend the rights of oppressed peoples and migrants and -- as in Nepal, Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia -- to make, extend or defend unfolding revolutions.

In Nepal, Jed Brandt reports that between 500,000 and 1 million people flooded the streets on Kathmandu to demand the resignation of the government. The massive mobilisation -- called by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Young Communist League -- is the prelude to a general strike that begins May 2.

Joint May Day
2010 statement from Asia

We are
organising to demand a living wage. For health and safety
at work. For compensation and rehabilitation. For the rights of migrant workers and refugees, for citizenship rights for migrant
workers and their families. For the right to employment on equal
terms. Workers are organising against deportations, against racism,
against discrimination. Workers are organising against wars that are a
disaster to millions of workers.

April 19, 2010 -- The
bilateral meeting between Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and
US President Barack Obama served nothing but the submission of the
Malaysian government to the imperialist US as its new foot soldiers of
“war on terror” in South-East Asia.

Prime Minister Najib
recently attended the two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Washington,
which achieved very little in promoting disarmament, but created
conditions for stepping up sanctions against Iran, a country in the
oil-rich region that has refused to subordinate itself to US
Imperialism. It has become clear that Obama's foreign policy is far
from breaking with the aggressive expansionist approach under the Bush
administration, but is more in line with the imperialist goal of
achieving military domination of the world.

April 14, 2010 -- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- Today,
a delegation of 30 people led by the Socialist Party Malaysia (PSM) staged
a protest at the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Those present
included Dr. Nasir Hashim (chairperson of the PSM and Selangor state assemblyperson for Kota Damansara ), Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj (central committe member of PSM and federal member of parliament for Sungai Siput), and
S. Arutchelvan (secretary-general of the PSM). There were also
representatives of Suaram, a leading human rights organisation in
Malaysia, as well as a representative from the Student Federation of
Thailand.

According
to Arutchelvan, the purpose of this action is to voice
concern over the situation in Thailand as well as to condemn the
brutal crackdown on Red Shirt protesters on April 10. Dr Jeyakumar
said the Red Shirts' demand for a fresh election is a fair demand and the Thai
government should recognise the democratic rights of the people to
protest and to choose their government. Choo Chon Kai, PSM international coordinator, then read PSM's demands in the memorandum.